Program for youngsters with visual impairments comes to Western Massachusetts offering new friendships and opportunities

The Republican | Michael S. GordonA group from the Clark Center for the Blind in Newton walks the sensory trail during a field trip to Massachusetts Audubon's Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary. From left, Richard Ely, coordinator of Western Massachusetts services for the Carroll Center, stands with Arcadia volunteer field walk leader Carla A. Wirzburger, and Anthony P. Cappelli, a teacher of students with visual impairment and his daughter, Elizabeth R. Cappelli.

EASTHAMPTON – Claud Turner, a 14-year-old who lives in Hyannis, said he loves to explore.

So when the new Massachusetts resident, who has a vision impairment, learned about an enrichment program at Smith College last week, he decided to check it out.

This is the first time that the Newton-based CarrollKids program has set up its program in Western Massachusetts.

The program, which began in 2004 as part of the Education Services Department of the Carroll Center, has been held in Newton and in Warwick, R.I., according to Karen S. Ross, education services director with the Carroll Center for the Blind.

With the demand growing in this part of the state, they set up a five-day program in Northampton.

Initially, eight students from Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and New York participated, but one student went home ill.

On this day, the seven along with their teachers and aides were visiting the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary here to take a hike along the center’s sensory trail.

The center offers a map in braille, braille markers along the trail as well as an audio guide to help people of all visual abilities see.

Some of the youngsters have partial sight and others have none at all.

But no matter, the youngsters who range in age from 8 to 15 have been expanding their cooking prowess, visiting the Smith College art museum and attending a concert among their myriad activities that aim to provide academic and social enrichment.

Claud came to this country from Jamaica just nine months ago. “I like seeing new stuff,” he said. He liked visiting the art museum. But one of his favorite things was learning to play pool. He had never played in his life.

For 12-year-old Conor Burke of Pear River, N.Y., teaching Claud how to play was one of his highlights. Conor has participated in many CarrollKids programs before.

“It’s always nice to do something with kids with the same disabilities,” he said. And while his friends at home understand, here, “it’s different, I don’t have to say it.”

Hope Daniels, 13, from Pittsfield, said her mother thought she’d enjoy coming. She liked “touching all the stuff” at the museum and gift shop. “I never get to touch much,” she said.

One of the highlights was making pigs in a blanket with another youngster, from start to finish, rolling the dough to putting the franks inside. It’s something she said she hopes to make at home.

“We see these kids are willing to explore,” said Brianne Killoran, orientation and mobility specialist and vision rehabilitation therapist with the Carroll program.

They want to try new things, “putting together the menu each night. They’re enthusiastic,” the Waltham resident said.

“They learn from each other,” said Tony Cappelli, visual impairments teacher from North Granby, Conn.

And they become friends. Killoran said she and Cappelli were talking about how close the kids are in just a few days’ time. She said they’d love to come back and do the program again for an even longer time next year.